"New arrivals!"
Gabriel's voice sounded through the clouds.
Angel looked up. Then let his head sink back down to where it had been resting on his hands. Not today, he thought, sighing. Every day when that same call rang out, he would sprint to the large golden gates to see whether the one person he was waiting for had come.
Two years had passed on. Collins had not.
So, after 730 days of rushing to the gates, only to be greeted with disappointment, Angel remained seated. Today would only be like the other days, a few precious moments filled with hope; before they shut the golden gates and said: "That's all folks."
It'd only be one more day of wiping away the single tear that would rise in his eye, and slowly walking back into the mists of Heaven.
It was lovely there, but awfully lonely.
When Mimi had died, Angel had so wanted to bring her into Heaven, if only to have someone there to talk to. The other angels here were nice, but many were so distant that he felt isolated. But then Angel had seen Roger at the end of that tunnel, and the drag queen had known that Mimi belonged on earth, with the love of her life.
Some people were so lucky.
Angel remembered when he had died…
~~
It's so cold.
Jesus, why is it so cold?
Angel spun around in the dark tunnel, shivering. Where was he? How had he gotten there?
A light. Warm. Pulsating.
Frightening.
Angel looked back towards the other end.
Collins!
He could see Collins.
So handsome.
He reached out his arms, and tried to shout Tom's name.
Collins was crying.
Why was Collins crying?
What was happening?
"Collins! I'm here!"
Tom didn't see him.
Didn't hear him.
"Collins!!" Angel shouted again, softer.
He tried running to his philosopher lover.
He ran faster.
Collins got farther.
The warm light was closer.
Catching up.
So warm-
It burned.
Scalded his skin.
"Tom!"
Overtook him.
~~
Angel shuddered, and shook his head. He didn't want to think about that, or the state of hysteria he had been in when they admitted him through the golden gates. His words pulsated in his mind.
"No! Oh God no! I'm not-Jesus Christ! Someone save me, I can't be dead. I can't be. I've got-there's someone-I love-please don't! Send me back down! I don't want to be dead, please! Please! Collins! Collins! Collins!"
Angel's head throbbed, and he placed a caramel hand against his temple. He had spent the rest of that night sobbing into the soft feather pillows they had placed on the large bed in the room he had been given. Angel had fallen asleep with Collins' name on his lips, and woke up with it fresh on his tongue.
This fine, heavenly place was wonderful.
But so lonely.
And no matter how wonderful his room was, or how soft his bed was, they were both to big without someone to share it with.
Thus, every day Angel had made that selfish wish that Collins would join him. Every day.
Every day brought disappointment.
Jenevive breezed by Angel, and looked down, concerned.
"Angel?"
"Hm?" Angel looked up at the youthful looking girl. She was one of the few angels here that actually took the time to talk to him.
"You're not going to sprint to the gates like you're running a marathon?"
"No," Angel sighed, shaking his head. "It's useless."
"Maybe not." Jenevive took Angel's hand, and pulled him up. "Come with me anyway, just for laughs."
"Haha." Angel said lacklusterly, but followed anyway.
The archangels were lined up, and the book of life was placed on a large, golden pedestal.
The reading angel stopped, and ushered the new arrivals in. "That's about all, I guess," he said, closing the book.
Angel gave Jenevive a look, and sighed. "Once again-"
"Oh wait!" The angel said, jerking the pages open again. "One more!"
Jenevive looked at Angel.
Angel waited with baited breath.
"Tom Collins."